The app is pricey — especially in light of the fact that you could rent a great astronomy video for far less money. But Wonders includes roughly two and a half hours of video from Mr. Cox’s BBC series, “Wonders of the Universe” and “Wonders of the Solar System.”

In the app, Mr. Cox, a physics professor with a knack for accessible writing and on-screen storytelling, makes use of both talents. Between his explanations of such things as meteorites and subatomic particles, the app’s designers have placed nicely interactive graphics and stunning photography.

IPad owners with Apple TV will do well to broadcast the app to the big screen, where the universe’s secrets, and Mr. Cox’s tutorials, come to life even more fully.

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